White Chocolate-Ginger Cheesecake

Ginger's peppery flavor is the perfect foil for white chocolate. Here, the ginger is used in several forms, each contributing its own nuance: Crystallized ginger provides texture and a warm bite to the filling, gingersnaps are used for the crust, and ground ginger enhances both crust and filling. Begin making this dessert a day ahead.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water until chocolate melts. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and ground ginger. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate. Stir in crystallized ginger.

Transfer filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake puffs and edges crack slightly, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer cake to rack. Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Chill cake overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

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This is definitely a
family favorite. I
made this as my
sister's wedding
cake and not one
crumb was left over.
I did as others have
done, and cut down
on the amount of
crystallized ginger
called for in the
filling. I use
anywhere from a 1/4
cup to 1/2 cup.
Also, the original
recipe calls for 1
large egg yolk to be
added to the filling
with the 4 whole
eggs.
For my sister's
wedding, I poured a
fruit glaze/puree
over the top to
spruce it up some.
Since I made 4 cakes
for the wedding, I
made 4 different
fruit purees in a
rainbow of colors-
it was quite lovely!

I make a lot of
cheesecakes and
this one is so
unique and
flavorful. It
always gets rave
reviews. Sometimes
I do top the cake
with sour cream for
a prettier
presentation. Make
someone's day, make
them this
cheesecake!

I have never reviewed a recipe before, even though I constantly use recipes from this site, and I HAD to review this recipe because it is THAT good! I made this cheesecake using the Triple Ginger Snaps from Trader Joe's for the crust and the crystalized ginger from TJ's in the recipe. It turned out amazing. I used a little less ginger in the cake just because I wasn't sure how everyone felt about ginger, but everyone loved it and I will definitely use more the next time I make it. And there will be a next time! I had to bake it for around 2 hours, but I think I will take it out sooner next time and not wait for it to "puff up" in the middle. I also want to add the correct amount of ginger next time but it's so feisty. It's just so hard to mince the crystalized ginger without it turning into a sticky clumpy mess.

Don't make the crust as described in the recipe! It comes out as a gooey mess. Do it the time honored way: mix the crust ingredients with a spoon. Otherwise, the cheesecake filling is a good mix for those who like ginger.

One of the reviewers noticed that there is an egg yolk mentioned in the directions but not listed in the ingredients. I have the original recipe pulled from the magazine which has 4 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk in the ingredients. So if you are making this you may want to add that egg yolk as stated in the original recipe. I have not made it but based on the reviews I am adding it to my file!

Yum! I loved it, as did all of my friends. One friend who dislikes cheesecakes tried a small piece, and then went back for more, saying it was the best cheesecake she had ever had. Note: you must like ginger as the flavor is pretty strong.

I really loved the flavour of this cheesecake! I use 1/2 low-fat cream cheese and 1/2 silken tofu for the filling. The texture is good, and no one can tell the difference in the taste. Good-quality gingersnaps for the crust are essential. (Trader Joe's gingersnaps were so good, I bought more to snack on! Oh...and they made a crust that was as tasty as the filling!) I had to bake it for over 2 hours, because I had trouble with water leaking into the pan, despite the foil. My friends really enjoyed it, and my Mom said it was my best yet!

Wonderful texture, especially with the ginger processed into very small pieces. The creaminess of the white chocolate was a perfect foil for the zing of the ginger. I made it using about half the crust it called for, which lightened it up a bit, I think.

I had to weigh in as I've been making this for years. It is FANTASTIC, BUT you cannot use white chocolate chips. Others are right, the chocolate taste won't come through unless you use the real deal. It's not as expensive as it seems since it will serve 15-20 people. It's so rich they only need a sliver (maybe that's why it was half eaten?). Also, cut the ginger for all audiences but the hard core. Stem ginger in syrup is cheaper and softer than the crystalized (obtain at Asian markets or in Asian section of supermarket) and you only need about 3TB pureed. Subtle can be good. That solves most of the critism...didn't anyone notice it calls for an egg yolk not mentioned in the ingredients? Never mind...clearly it's optional!

Thank you Minneapolis for the tip about the water bath replacement! That's always been one of the tricky parts about cheesecake baking, and I won't miss it!
On to the recipe-I love trying new cheesecakes and this one sounded really intriguing. Neither my husband or myself loved it. Served it at a party, and many half-eaten pieces ended up in the garbage. I minced the ginger very fine, but still didn't like the texture of the little crunchy pieces in the creamy cheesecake. Because of the other reader comments about the white chocolate taste not coming through, and because I thought the slightly browned top wasn't attractive, I made a topping with 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and 6 ounces white chocolate. I spooned some of it in the melted state in a layer over the top, then chilled the rest until it was firm enough to pipe rosettes around the top edge. A topped the rosettes off with little piece of crystallized ginger. It made a nicer presentation than the white chocolate curls.

I followed Minneapolis' suggestion and placed a 9x13 pan of water in the oven along with the cheesecake, with absolutely perfect results! Not a single hint of a crack. I made this cheesecake (along with several others) as a thank you to a group of people, and this one was rated as one of the best. I can't say that I got to taste it, but when descriptions from others involve rolling of the eyes to the back of their heads, it must be good!

This was a wonderful recipe, particularly if you like making unique cheesecakes. I served it with a fresh pineapple puree -- one whole fresh pineapple pureed in a blender is just about the perfect amount for the whole cake. Just put it in a squeeze bottle, make a thick squiggle on the plate, place a piece of cheesecake on top, and your friends and family will be very impressed.
For those of you who have trouble with cracking, this is my trick: Instead of using a water bath, fill a glass or ceramic 9 x 13 cake pan 2/3 full of water and put this on the lowest rack of your oven (be sure to put it in when you turn the oven on so it is nice and hot by the time you put the cake in). I do this with every cheesecake, whether it calls for a water bath or not. This trick has not failed me yet!

This is the best cheesecake ever. I have made it three times,the last being for my husband's birthday. This cake is best when made for a crowd, since it serves so many. There are only three of us, and we ate it all week. Needless to say, we were a little tired of it. I need to find a way to cut the recipe down.

This is the recipe that taught me why they call for heavy duty aluminum foil to wrap around the bottom of the springform pan. I thought I could just use several layers of regular foil...which enabled the water to seep in,and when I took my cake out it had a water line along the crust that looked like a mountain range. I brazenly took it to the party anyway and people loved it. They marveled over the "dual cakey-creamy texture." Must be even better when it's done right!

I still have not decided if I will make this again. I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with almost twice the batter that would fit in the 9" springform?! The ingredients are not cheap so this disappointed me. I brought this cheesecake to work and it was gone in 20 minutes, but these people will eat almost anything. Everyone said it was delicious so I guess it turned out. (I don't really like cheesecake, I just like to bake).

Great recipe but I would definitely decrease the amount of ginger in the filling because the white chocolate flavor did not come through even though it added a certain amount of smoothness to the filling.

This is wonderful- the crystallized ginger and white chocolate flavors complement each other perfectly. I've made it twice so far this holiday season for parties, and both times, it's been consumed in a matter of moments, with rave reviews. Also, the crystallized ginger is MUCH cheaper at Trader Joe's or in the bulk foods section than in the normal spice section of the grocery store.

I'm making this for the third time and continue to be treated like the Dessert Goddess by our friends. We added up the calories required to make this recipe (almost 13,000 if I remember correctly) and almost fainted, but it is worth it!

Simply spectacular! This to-die-for cheesecake was prepared for guests at my sister's bridal shower. With an array of choices at the table, this cheesecake, with its thick, creamy texture and balanced gingersnap crust was the first to melt away in the mouths of all--connoisseuers of dessert, at least. Two years later, I still have unfamiliar faces from the shower coming up to me and asking "When are you going to make that cheesecake again?" This is a definite go in any world of desserts!!